


Glimpses

by LadyZephyr



Category: Bomb Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 23:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/655686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyZephyr/pseuds/LadyZephyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glimpses of Kate and Betty's lives. First two chapters are set in November 1942 and things continue from there.<br/>Probably will be slight AU eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nov. 1942

_I’m in bed each night at nine..._ Billie Holiday crooned from the record player.

Kate wasn’t singing along like normal though. She was sitting on the edge of Betty’s bed quietly. Too quietly. She’d been sitting there, enjoying the use of Betty’s record player since before Betty had returned.

“Where were you tonight?” Kate’s voice seemed to come from somewhere far away as she heard Betty open the curtain.

“Just out.” Betty shrugged, “What are you doing here? It’s Saturday night. I thought you had a date tonight.”

Kate turned to face her, “I lied.” Her face was flushed pink, and her eyes didn’t quite meet the blonde’s.

“What happened?” Betty sat down next to her, tossing her jacket on to the floor. In Kate’s hands was clasped a book, her hands trying to hide the cover from view.

“I’ve been reading. I was trying to...understand.” Kate replied very carefully.    
“Understand what, Kate?” Betty’s eyes flickered the the book’s semi-worn cover. Betty’s posture shifted into something more defensive than usual.

“You.” Kate answered simply, she let her fingers slip off the book’s cover revealing it’s title.

“Torchlight to Valhalla?” Betty regarded Kate curiously, “What is this?”

“It’s about women like-” Kate began to answer, but was cut off.

“Like me. Disgusting deviants.” The tears welling up in her eyes were a direct response to a memory Kate shared.

“No.” Kate reached for Betty’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” Betty answered, sitting herself down next to Kate, “Where’d you get this?” She pointed at the book.

Kate paused, contemplating her response, “Gladys found it for me.”

Betty laughed slightly, unable to help herself, “I wonder where she found this.”  
 “She didn’t tell me where, but she found it for me when I asked her to. She brought it to me a few days ago at Vic Mu.”  
Betty shook her head, “You’re lucky Lorna didn’t find you with that.”

“I hid it.” Kate replied simply.

“You asked her to? Why?” Betty asked.

Kate reacted with surprise, “I thought you must have...” she paused thoughtfully “You’ve never read one?”

“No. I haven’t.” Betty replied, “Why are you reading this, Kate?”

Kate paused for a moment, “I think I might be... like you.”  
 Betty paused, backing away slightly, “Kate you don’t know what you’re saying.”

Kate replied almost too loudly, “But I do! When I’m on a date with someone else all I can think about is what’s Betty doing right now? And when you’re out with someone else I miss you. And I’m jealous.”

Betty sat there silently, “It’s dangerous words you’re saying Kate.” She looked down at the floor. Kate willed her silently to look up.

“I know that! I’m completely stuck on you. And maybe I am sick. I don’t know. So I was reading.”

“Do you feel sick?” Betty asked, reaching out to hold one of the younger woman’s hands with her own.

“No. When I’m with you I feel...wonderful.” Kate whispered as she squeezed Betty’s hand gently, and pressed a chaste kiss to Betty’s palm.

“Kate” Betty said softly, looking down into her eyes. Bringing a hand up to stroke Kate’s cheek softly.

Kate paused as she shuffled through the pages of the book, as Betty moved to sit next to Kate on the bed. “Would...would you ever want to? With me?” She pointed at a page with a trembling finger.

Betty glanced down at the page, skimming it. She gasped audibly and flushed, “Kate.” She managed to murmur softly, in total disbelief.


	2. Nov. 1942 Cont.

Betty McRae was in disbelief, her face was flushed red and her tough attitude nowhere to be found as she stared at the page Kate’s finger was trembling above. The words written were suggestive, not explicit and yet her breath caught in her throat. She’d never let herself hope she could have Kate like that. Images quickly invaded her mind. This turn of events had her completely gobsmacked. 

“Betty? Did I say something wrong?” Kate’s sweet voice brought her back to the present.   
 Betty took a deep breath, “No.”

“What’s wrong?” Kate closed the book and tossed it to the floor, turning all her attention to Betty.   
 “I don’t really... I’ve never... Not with...” Betty tries to find the words the best she can and fails. She’ll blame it on shock, she decides.

Kate reaches out and takes her hand, “It doesn’t matter.” She answers kindly. 

For a moment they just look at each other, then Kate reaches her fingers to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind Betty’s ear. Fingers left to linger on her cheek as she draws nearer closing the gap between them with a kiss.  
 Soft, delicate and tender. Everything she had hoped for. Betty felt herself lean in to the kiss. She waited for Kate to change her mind, back away from this hesitant tender kiss.  
Instead, she felt her beloved become more sure, less tentative as she kissed her. A little noise emerged from Kate and she felt it thrill her completely. 

A joyful feeling spread through her as she thought to herself, this is Kate, this is Kate I’m kissing. Her arms wrapped themselves around Kate’s curvy body of their own volition, pulling her in closer. In response, Kate moaned slightly. 

Finally they broke apart, both gasping for air, but it was only a moment before Kate’s mouth was back on hers. More insistent this time, pressing herself into Betty who was thrown off balance and crashed backwards on to her bed. Luckily her head had hit the foot of the mattress instead of her shoulders. 

They broke apart, hushed laughter pouring from their lips for a moment.  
 “Are you alright? Am I too heavy?” Kate glanced down at the blonde. Kate tried to lift herself slightly  
 “Yeah. Swell even.” Betty smiled and laughed slightly, trying to slip her shoes off without moving from underneath Kate’s warm form. The shoes clattered to the floor. And she found Kate’s mouth yielding against her own once again.  
 They kissed for what must have been hours. They kissed until she grew hot under her blouse and trousers. They kissed until she felt Kate begin to shiver and press more firmly against her. 

And then they heard the sound of voices, the other girls returning to the boarding house. They broke apart quickly at the sounds of drunken laughter and footsteps on the stairs. Trying desperately to slow her heavy breathing Betty saw Kate jump up and quickly pull her door shut and lock it. She leaned against the door and looked over at Betty who was still desperately trying to slow her breathing. 

“It’s alright. Nobody saw.” Kate spoke even softer than before, fearing they would be overheard. 

“What about next time?” Betty finally spoke.

“We’ll have to be more careful.” Kate replied decisively.

“There’s still a risk of getting caught. We could lose our jobs Kate. Get thrown in prison or worse.” Betty shook her head sadly. Finally noticing that the top three buttons on her blouse were undone the blonde moved her fingers to redo them. Funny, she hadn’t really noticed Kate doing so.  
 “No, don’t.” Kate moved her hand to stop her, “Leave it like that for a while.”

Betty silently complied, “It’s dangerous to be like me Kate.”   
“I don’t think I can help myself.” Kate sighed, reaching for Betty’s hand, “I wish we lived in a kinder world.”   
 "Me too."   
"But," Kate continued, "It's not going to stop me from being with you. Or staying here with you tonight."  
“And after that?” Betty gently stroked Kate’s hand as she spoke.  
“We enjoy our Sunday while everyone’s out. Then we go to work and we do our jobs.” Kate answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
“Yeah. I’m having a feeling I’ll be needing my own house sooner than I thought.” Betty’s voice was hardly more than a whisper.  
“Our house.” Kate smiled and leaned back in for another kiss.


	3. January 1943

Part 3: January 1943

“Oh come on Kate, you haven’t been out with a fella in ages. Why don’t you come out with us? They’re young soldiers, just shipping out, but great dancers.” Vera cajoles her at tea break, having stepped down from the office to join the girls for a cup of tea. 

“I’d rather not.” Kate answers politely, and brings her tea cup to her lips. She looks over at Betty who bristles noticeably at the suggestion. She wants to laugh, but thinks better of it. 

Gladys smiles into her teacup as she sips her coffee to avoid laughing.

“Neither of you ever come out anymore.” Vera shakes her head sadly.

Kate watches the look Betty shoots Gladys. She’d been suspicious of them two weeks in when suddenly they wanted to spend Saturday nights at home. It should make her feel more insecure, more at risk, but Gladys has been nothing but kind.   
“We work long days princess.” Betty shrugs her shoulders in what is supposed to be a nonchalant way. 

Gladys stepped in, “Oh don’t you know - Betty has been neglecting her more domestic duties? She’s got a huge pile of socks to darn.”   
Kate jumped in readily to this cover, “I’m going to help her. Can’t have you wearing hole-ridden socks.” She said this last part so sweetly that Betty felt it warm her, even though it was a lie. 

Betty managed to keep a straight face, it was Saturday. Everyone goes out Saturday nights. She was perfectly aware of what she’d be doing with Kate tonight, and it wasn’t mending socks. Ideally, it wouldn’t involve any clothing at all. 

“Guess you want them done before you move.” Gladys smirked slightly and tried not to wince when Betty kicked her shin under the table.

“You’re moving?” Vera seemed shocked by this news, whatever intentions she had of returning to the office delayed by this news. 

“Yeah. I’m buying a house.” Betty smiled proudly. 

Kate smiled to, into her tea as she sipped it slowly. 

“How can you afford that?” Vera asked, looking at them incredulously. 

“We’re going to be housemates.” Kate added.

“Why would you want to buy a house?” Vera shook her head once again.

“Oh. And that’s the end of tea break.” Gladys announced, hopping to her feet as she noticed most of them women around her doing the same.

As they walked back to their stations, she looked over at Kate, “Do you want to go out dancing?”

Kate slowed her walk and grabbed Betty’s elbow leaning in, “I want to be with you.” She whispered. Then pulled back just as calmly, returning to work. She knew what was meant by those words. And it made her warm in ways she really shouldn’t be in public. It was the same reason she had to try to avoid looking at Kate now when they showered and changed at work. The sight of her body now brought an onslaught of memories to mind.

Betty’s face flushed in response, she took her place next to Gladys in the stencil line. The brunette simply looked over and smiled.

“Back to work girls, tea break’s over.” Lorna called out walking past them. “McRae are you alright? You look like you’re coming down with something.”   
“Fine ma’am.” Betty answered, trying to will her face pale again. 

“You better go home if you’re sick. Go see the nurse.” Lorna gestured to Betty to go, and she herself took the place on the line.

At this Kate looked somewhat alarmed, but only briefly before she returned to the casing she was working on.

After lunch, Betty returned to the line. She’d been pronounced in perfect health by the nurse. 

“I’m sorry.” Kate mumbled from her station next to Betty’s.

“S’alright. Not your fault.” Betty replied.

Gladys tried not to giggle as she glued her casing, either that or she was biting her tongue for some other reason.

As they walked home arm in arm later that day, they didn’t need to say a word. Both absolutely content

 

***

Later that evening, curled around Kate, she mused that a ‘quiet night in’ was really what she wanted most Saturdays.  
 “Did you want to go dancing?” Kate asked, seemingly out of the blue.

“Now?” Betty looked at her a little more seriously.

“Well, we’re buying a house so we won’t have to worry so much.”   
“We won’t be able to yet, Kate. Not until the summer.” Betty said gently, they both knew it was true. They were saving up as much as they could as quickly as they could. And it seemed like it wasn’t quite fast enough. 

“I know. I just wish...”   
“We could get it done so we could go out more again?” Betty smiled.

“No. I just wish we had our own space. We wouldn’t have to worry about the other girls or Mrs. Groot overhearing us or suspecting something... And I do miss dancing.”

“We could go dancing.” Betty stretched next to her on the bed, “We could get dressed and go right now. It’s only nine o’clock.” She glanced at the clock confirming this 

“Really?

“Of course.” Betty kissed Kate’s mouth briefly, and jumped to her feet headed for the sink, “I just want to clean up a little first.”

She felt Kate move to hold her from behind, arms going around her, “I love you.”   Betty wasn’t sure she’d heard them at first. For months now she’d wanted to hear Kate say the words, she knew that she felt them. She could see it and feel it - but the words. She’d silently begged for it sometimes when she touched her. 

“I know.” Betty turned around and smiled.

“I really mean it. It’s not because we’re going dancing.”  
 “If you’re still awake enough.” Betty joked contentedly.

“I’ll manage fine, as long as I’m with you.” Kate pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before breaking away to wash and dress. 

They arrived at the Jewel Box forty-five minutes later.  
“Well look who finally showed up? You get your mending done?” Vera joked loudly from her seat, wine glass in hand.

“Yeah, it’s better with two, much easier.” Betty looked back at Kate who was grinning contentedly. 

“This mean you’ll be coming out more?” Vera asked happily. 

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that Vera,” Gladys started in a tone that clearly said she’d been drinking, “I think Betty’s got plenty of mending left to do.”

“I can mend fine.” Betty insisted.

“Of course you can,” Kate replied, “Now what about that dance?”

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: Torchlight to Valhalla is an actual Lesbian Pulp novel published in 1938.  
> The lyrics used earlier in this chapter are from Billie Holiday’s PS I Love You released before 1942.  
> This fanfiction takes place sometime in the fall of 1942.  
> Any historical inaccuracies are my own fault.


End file.
